Top Visa payment expert poached by Apple

Apple has stepped up efforts to capture the mobile payments market by appointing Mary Carol Harris, former director of mobile at Visa Europe, to help drive forward its ApplePay expansion in Europe.

With 14 years’ experience in the digital payments and mobile payment sector, Harris is an industry force to be reckoned with. Having previously headed up NFC at Telefonica, she switched to Visa in 2008, initially as a senior manager in the mobile payments unit before progressing to the joint role of vice president and head of strategic alliances and projects in mobile, contactless and innovation.

Earlier in her career, Harris also pioneered SMS and m-payment schemes in developing markets.

This extensive experience and insight the mobile payments ecosystem will doubtless make Harris a major asset to Apple as it works to secure partnerships with European banks ahead of its Apple Pay rollout. The company hopes to replicate the success it enjoyed earlier this month in the US, where Bank of America, Citi, Capital One, Chase and Wells Fargo have all announced their support.